Mail crane



Aprifi 199 1%? 1,625,272

C. A. MOHNKERN MAIL CRANE Filed April 10; 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 UzzrZ d jlfanfern I 1,625,272 ApnE 19 1927. c- A. MOHNKERN MAIL CRANE Filed pril 10. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet gin panic;

Patented Apr. '19, 1927.

Uurrsn STATES oFFlc- CAB/L A. MOHNKEBN, 0F CURTIS, ARKANSAS MAIL CRANE.

Application filed April 10, 1925.; Serial No. 22,086.-

My invention relates to mail cranes such as are in use at post-oflice stations along railways for delivering mail pouches to movmg trains.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved crane for vthe purpose mentioned which shall be strong and eflicient in operation and which will not injurev the pouches by tearing the supporting rings therefrom. A further and articular object of my invention isto provlde a mail crane which will automatically drop to the ground when the mail pouchjis removed therefrom, in either a posit-ion parallel with the rails, or away from the same as found desirable according to the location of the'device. A further object of my invention is to provide a mail crane with means for illuminatmail pouch at night. A further and ing the of my invention is to proparticular object vide a device as mentioned which shall ef-' fectually reduce the hazards to which. the

public and trainmen are subjected due to the ordinary -rigid mail cranes in general use. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists generally in a mail crane comprising a pivotally mounted standard provided with a pair of arms for supporting the mail pouch, at least one of said arms being pivotally mounted on said standard, a latch for maintaining the standard in upright position and a connection between the pivoted armand the latch, whereby upon dropping of'the former, the latter will be operated'to release the standard and permit the same to drop. My invention further consists in a device as mentioned in whichv the normal center of gravity of thecrane is arranged to one side of the ivotso as to insure the crane drop ing in tiie proper direction when released. y invention further consists in various details of construction and arrangements of parts all as will be fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mail crane embodying my invention, the same being illustrated in dotted lines in lowered or in operative position,

Fig. 2 is a detail upon an enlarged scale illustrating the latch for maintaining the crane in upright or operative position, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of crane, such as is adapted to lie parallel with the rails when in inoperative position,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view upon an enlarged scale illustrating the latch and releasing mechanism, as shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the connection between one of the arms and the standard,

Fig.6 is a detail view of means for raising the crane to operative position,

Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating one of the spring clamps for holding the mail pouch on the arms,

, Fig. 8 is a detail view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating modified the crane, and

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view illustrating a slight modification.

means for elevating Referring now to the drawings 10 indirods 14 connected to the shaft 12, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. 1,

the'crane is provided with a fixed upper arm 15 and a pivoted lower arm 16 for supporting the mail pouch, the ends of said arms being provided with suitable clamps 17 for holding the ouch in the usual manner.

The details 0 these clamps are novel and will be described hereinafter.

The arm 16 is pivoted as at 18 and has a short rearwardly projecting arm 19, ofiset to extend .around thebearing of the arm and to a point beside the standard. When the standard is hollow, as when made of pipe, the arm 19 may, if preferred, project into the standard 13 as illustrated clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, but it is usually arranged on the outside of the standard as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2. The lower end of the stan aid is threaded into the shaft 12 and is provided with a plunger 20 constitutmg a latch adapted to engage in an aperture 21 in the base. plate when the crane is ward the track. This assists in raising the tion when released.

crane and also assists in preventing the crane from dropping in the wrong direc The plunger is preferably rovided with a-stem 23 which is connecte by a cable 24 with the short arm 19 on the crane arm 16. By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that when the arm 16 is released and drops, it will raise the latch 20 and re'ease the crane. A spring 25 is arranged between the plunger latch 20 and a guide 27 on the standard, which normally projects the latch into operative position. When the latch is arranged within the standard as in Figs. 3 and. 4, the guide 27' is arranged as shown in Fig. 4. p

To insure the proper dropping of the crane when released, its center of gravity is arranged to one side of the shaft 12. To

. this end the standard is offset as indicated at the ratchet 32, but when 28, although other means may be provided for this purpose. When so constructed, the elbows 29 at the ends of the offsets are preferably provided with pulleys 30 for the cable 24. These may be upon the outside of the standard as illustrated in Fig. 1, or within the same as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

For raising the crane, I have illustrated a ratchet and .ever device. (See Fig. 6). As shown therein, a ratchet wheel 32 is connected to a trunnion at the end of the shaft 12, and a lever 33 is pivotally mounted adjacent thereto, as upon the same trunnion. A pawl 34 is pivotally mounted upon the lever in position to engage the ratchet 32 and is connected by a rod 32 with a grip 33' on the lever 33. A spring is arranged between the handle and the grip 33 which hold the pawl 34 out of the lever operates to normally 0 engagement, with the handle and grip are grasped and squeezed the pawl is actuated to engage the ratchet.

Frequently a mail crane is arranged at a considerable distance from the station. and if preferred, means may be provided for lifting the crane from such distant point. In F 1g. 8 I have illustrated means for this purpose. As shown therein, the trunnion of the shaft 12 is provided with a short arm 35 connected by a rod 3dextending into the station. Its operation is similar to the manner of operating switches and the like from a distance and does not need detailed descrition. 3 indicates blocks upon which the crane rests when in lowered position and 38 indicates cushions on the standard adapted to (not shown) neaaare engage said blocks. 39 indicates a spring adapted to cushion the drop of the crane. A bumper 38 is alsoprovided on the standard for each pivoted arm to cushion the fall of the same when released.

Improved clamps are provided at theend of the crane arms for supporting the pouch. Each clamp comprises a finger e0 pivotally connected to the end of the crane arm to swing on a vertical axis and a spring-pressed clamp finger 41. The finger 40 is provided at its inner end with a vertically disposed rod 42 constituting a pivot. This is arranged in s'ots 43 cut in from the tubular arms and held in place by a screw cap 44. A spring 45 connected to the rod 42 and having its opposite ends bearing against the crane arm, maintains the finger 4:0 in alincment with the crane arm, but permits the clamp. to readily swing laterally in either direction under slight forces, so that it exerts practically no resistance to removal of the bag and therefore is conducive to long wear of the latter.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a form of the device which is adapted to fall into position parallel withthe rails. With such an arrangeinent, it is desirable that both of the crane arms shall be pivoted and fall into position close to the standard. In this form of the device, the standard 13 is substantially of the same construction as in the form shown in Fig. 1, as is also the arm 16 together with the latch 20 and the associated parts, it being understood that in either form the latch and operating cable 24 may be arranged on either the outside or inside of the standard ifthe latter is of hollow construction. The main difference in this form of the device is that the shaft 12 is ar ranged at a position at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1, that is, at right angles to the track.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3, that is, in the device which is adapted to lie parallel with the track, the upper arm 15' is pivoted as at 4.6. 48 indicates a brace or support ing arm pivoted at 49 and adapted to en gage behind a stop or detent 50 on the arm 15 to maintain the latter in raised position. A cable 51 is connected to the brace arm 48 adjacent its free end and has its opposite end connected as at 52 to the lower arm 16, so that, when arm 16 drops it will pull the brace arm 48 from the detent 50 and release the arm 15. 31 indicate spring tongues on the standard for holding the arms 15 and 16 after they drop. These are not essential in the form shown in Fi 1, but are necessary in the form shown in ig. 3, which lies arallel with the track when not in use. T ese spring tongues or latches are simply single strips of spring metal secured to the standard and projecting outwardly, the projecting portion being bent or curved to readily engage and hold the arm. I

When the crane is located convenient to a source of electric supply, it may be equipped with a lamp 53 (Fig. 3), which will illuminate the mail pouch on the crane, which is of great advantage at night. If a larger lamp is desired, such a lamp 53 may be arranged upon an offset 54 as illustrated in Fig. 9, in which position it will be out of the way of the arm 15 when it drops. \Vhen located at places where there is no available source of electric supply, a battery 55 may be arranged in a suitable compartment 56 beneath the base 10 or. in any other con venient place and connected in the usual manner with a small bulb 57 on the standard as indicated in Fig. 1. As the electric connections between the battery and lamp involves no novelty, the showing of the wires is omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration.

I claim:

1. A mail crane comprising a base, a standard pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a pair of horizontally extending arms, one of said arms being pivotally mounted, a latch carried by said standard and engaging said base to hold the standard in vertical'position and means connecting said latch and said pivotally mounted arm for releasing the former when the latter swings downwardly, substantially as described.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the center of gravity of said crane is arranged to one side of the pivotal support, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the standard is laterally ofiset to lo- I cate the center of gravity of the crane to one side of its pivotal support as and for the purpose specified.

4. A mail crane comprising a base and a standard formed of tubular material pivotally mounted on said base, a latch arranged in the lower end of I said standard and adapted to engage said base to maintain the standard in upright position, a pivotally mounted arm on said standard having a short' arm extending into said tubular standard and means arranged within said tubular slatiidard connecting said short arm and latch for releasing the latter when said arm is dropped, substantially as described.

5. A mail crane comprising a base having a pair of upstanding brackets, a shaft rotatablyv mounted in said brackets, a standard fixed to said shaft, a latch carried by said standard and shaft and adapted to engage said base to hold the standard in upright position, means for automatically releasing said latch when a mail pouch is removed from said crane, and means for raising said crane to upright position, substantially as described.

6.. In a mail crane, a base, a shaft pivotally mounted on said base, a standard fixed to said shaft, a latch projecting through said pivoted shaft, said base having an aperture to receive the end of said latch, a spring normally projecting said latch, a pivoted pouch engaging arm on said standard and a connection between said arm and said latch whereby downward movement. of the arm will retract said latch and release the standard, substantially as described.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said standard is laterally offset adjacent its lower end to cause the standard to swing downwardly in the direction of the offset when the -latch is released, substantially as described.

8. A device as set forth in claimG in combination with a stop arranged adjacent the aperture in the base, to be engaged by said latch and limit the swing of the crane in one direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

cant? A. MOHNKERN. 

